Jer 41:5-6, 9 | JFB | e4.org | 5. beards shaven, &c.—indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city. cut themselves —a heathen custom, forbidden ( ). These men were mostly from Samaria, where the ten tribes, previous to their deportation, had fallen into heathen practices. offerings —unbloody. They do not bring sacrificial victims, but "incense," &c., to testify their piety. house of . . . Lord —that is, the place where the house of the Lord had stood ( ). The place in which a temple had stood, even when it had been destroyed, was held sacred [PAPINIAN ]. Those "from Shiloh" would naturally seek the house of the Lord, since it was at Shiloh it originally was set up ( ).

‏ Jeremiah 41:5-6

5. beards shaven, &c.—indicating their deep sorrow at the destruction of the temple and city.

cut themselves—a heathen custom, forbidden (Le 19:27, 28; De 14:1). These men were mostly from Samaria, where the ten tribes, previous to their deportation, had fallen into heathen practices.

offerings—unbloody. They do not bring sacrificial victims, but "incense," &c., to testify their piety.

house of . . . Lord—that is, the place where the house of the Lord had stood (2Ki 25:9). The place in which a temple had stood, even when it had been destroyed, was held sacred [PAPINIAN]. Those "from Shiloh" would naturally seek the house of the Lord, since it was at Shiloh it originally was set up (Jos 18:1).

6. weeping—pretending to weep, as they did, for the ruin of the temple.

Come to Gedaliah—as if he was one of Gedaliah's retinue.

‏ Jeremiah 41:9

9. because of Gedaliah—rather, "near Gedaliah," namely, those intercepted by Ishmael on their way from Samaria to Jerusalem and killed at Mizpah, where Gedaliah had lived. So 2Ch 17:15, "next"; Ne 3:2, Margin, literally, as here, "at his hand." "In the reign of Gedaliah" [CALVIN]. However, English Version gives a good sense: Ishmael's reason for killing them was because of his supposing them to be connected with Gedaliah.